CFSI and Government of AP Partner with UNICEF To Support Child Rights at the launch of 16th Golden Elephant Festival

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CFSI and Government of AP Partner with UNICEF To Support Child Rights at the launch of 16th Golden Elephant Festival

NEW DELHI, India, 4 November 2009 – In honor of the 20th anniversary of the Convention of the Rights of the Child, the Children’s Film Society (CFSI) is partnering with UNICEF to highlight how films can play a significant role in advancing children’s right to information.

“The Golden Elephant”, the 16th International Children’s Film Festival sponsored by CFSI and the Government of Andhra Pradesh, will run from 14 to 20 November in Hyderabad.

“The children’s film society is partnering with UNICEF for the first time this year, because we both believe that there is nothing more important than allowing a voice for children. In the context of the Child Rights Convention, this partnership will communicate the importance of children’s right to the valuable content in entertainment, especially through films,” said Nandita Das, acclaimed actor/director and current Chairperson of CFSI. “We have joined hands for the International film festival in Hyderabad to showcase quality films and to emphasize the importance of entertainment for every child. At the festival, we will have open forums where poignant questions will be debated and workshops for children will be conducted as both a fun and a learning experience."

The festival is a platform where thousands of children from diverse parts of the country will come together and have access to films from across the world. Some of these films were made by child reporters such as “This is the Way We Study,” a film by 14-year-old child reporter Muhammad Akram presented at today’s press conference in Delhi.

“UNICEF as the global custodian of child rights realizes the importance of children’s participation. It promotes the empowerment and capacity of children to be involved in the decisions and actions that affect them. In this context, their right to information and participation is crucial,” said Karin Hulshof, UNICEF Representative in India. “We are happy to partner with CFSI and support the process of imparting edutainment to children through this film festival. UNICEF and CFSI believe that a process of dialogue and exchange needs to be encouraged in which children assume increasing responsibilities and become active, tolerant and democratic."

CFSI was created in 1955 as an autonomous body functioning under the Government’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. India’s first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru conceived of CFSI as a means to provide healthy entertainment for children.

For over 50 years, CFSI has strived to provide value-based entertainment to the children of India. CFSI owns a library of 250 children films and has reached more than 30 lakh children across India with over 12,000 shows. The festival will feature prominent celebrities, national and international jury members and stalwarts from the business of entertainment.

“We look at the Golden Elephant as an important milestone in our constant endeavor to create awareness for The Right to Entertainment for Children. We believe this year’s festival will take our efforts to a different level by bringing the audiences closer to our goals,” said Sushovan Banerjee, CEO of CFSI. “We are very happy and excited with the entries that we have received for the festival and are hopeful that the audiences will love them all.”